


The Company I Keep

by mercurys_loverboy (FandomStar)



Series: Freddie and Arthel ~ "Canon" [17]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Coming Out, Established Relationship, M/M, Meet the Family, Meeting the Parents, Nervousness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:33:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21546097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomStar/pseuds/mercurys_loverboy
Summary: February 1980Freddie finally finds the courage to introduce his family to Arthel.
Relationships: Bomi Bulsara & Freddie Mercury, Freddie Mercury/Original Male Character(s), Jer Bulsara & Freddie Mercury
Series: Freddie and Arthel ~ "Canon" [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1361284
Kudos: 6





	The Company I Keep

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry about that, I'm just not fully confident about how good this one is, so I haven't had any motivation to post it, but I thought I might as well do it.  
> Hope you enjoy!

"Now, remember, my parents are quite conservative, so don't be put off by their first reaction." Freddie reminded Arthel.

Smiling, Arthel squeezed his boyfriend's hand.

"Freddie, I know," he replied, before reassuring Freddie. "Don't worry. I'll be with you."

Freddie gave Arthel a small smile, before pressing a short, sweet kiss to his lips. The two of them walked up the path to the front door of Freddie's parents' house. A young woman opened the door and grinned.

"Freddie!" she happily greeted, hugging Freddie, before pulling away and looking at Arthel. "And you must be Arthel."

Arthel nodded.

"Arthel, this is my sister, Kash," Freddie told his partner. "I thought it might be useful if she knew the situation."

"Oh! Right! It's great to meet you." Arthel said, offering his hand to Kash.

Kash shook his hand with a smile.

"Come in, both of you!" she encouraged them.

Arthel followed Kash and Freddie nervously. Having never really been in a relationship before, let alone been introduced to a partner's family, he had no idea as to what he was supposed to do.

"Dad, Freddie's here." Kash announced, as she led Freddie and Arthel into, presumably, the living room. 

An older man, maybe in his late sixties, whom Arthel assumed was Bomi Bulsara, looked up from the newspaper he was reading. A small smile ghosted over his features as he stood up.

"Freddie." he greeted.

"Hello, Papa." Freddie replied, smiling himself.

"It's good to see you," Bomi said, before looking at Arthel. "Who is this?"

As he put an arm around Arthel's shoulders, Freddie's smile broadened.

"This is Arthel Jenkins," he told his dad. "I wanted you and mum to meet him."

Swallowing his nerves, Arthel held his hand out to Bomi.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." he said, politely.

When he took Arthel's hand, Bomi hummed, which Arthel took as vague agreement. At that moment, Kash returned with a woman Arthel resumed to be her and Freddie's mother.

"Freddie!" she happily exclaimed, hugging her son.

"Hello, Mama," Freddie replied, returning the hug and dropping a kiss to his mum's cheek, before pulling away to introduce Arthel. "Mum, I'd like you to meet Arthel Jenkins."

Jer smiled kindly.

"Hello." she said.

"Hello. It's lovely to meet you." Arthel replied, offering his hand.

Jer shook it, and Arthel nervously glanced at Freddie, who gave him an encouraging smile.

"Sit down, boys, drinks are nearly ready." Jer told everybody.

"Do you want some help, Mum?" Kash asked.

"No, sit down, you've done enough work." Jer relied, before disappearing off to the kitchen. 

Arthel sat next to Freddie on a sofa. Soon enough, Jer came back with a tray of mugs full of tea. The tray was placed on the coffee table, and everyone took a mug.

"So, Arthel, how do you and Freddie know each other?" Jer asked. "Do you work together?"

"Um, well, we met at a pub," Arthel replied, after glancing at Freddie for reassurance. "I was playing a gig there."

"You're a musician?" Bomi guessed.

"Not professionally," Arthel said. "I work at a record store. Gigs don't really earn me enough to live off them."

"You're good enough to be professional, though, dear," Freddie told him, tapping his knee with a grin. "Anyone who can't hear it's deaf!"

Arthel laughed, a little embarrassed.

"If you keep telling me that I might start getting cocky!" he joked, grinning at Freddie. 

"Who says that's a bad thing, darling?" Freddie replied, slightly suggestively, shrugging.

Remembering the presence of his boyfriend's family, Arthel blushed at Freddie's tone. At that, Freddie smiled at him with an obscure look in his eyes.

* * *

They spent an hour talking. Arthel answered questions about himself that he felt he could answer. At one point, they looked through an old photo album, Jer and Bomi describing and giving backstory to photos, whilst Freddie and Kash commented on what they remembered. After the hour passed, Freddie glanced at Arthel and subtlety nodded. Freddie looked across at his parents.

"Mama, Papa, there's a reason I brought Arthel to meet you today, and it's... It's because..." he nervously and hesitantly began to tell them. "Arthel is my partner."

Arthel could feel the fear radiating off Freddie. He'd never seen his boyfriend so terrified. This meant so much to Freddie - to them. The pause of silence was unbearable.

"But you don't work together." Bomi said.

"No. He's not my work partner," Freddie agreed, before tightly holding onto Arthel's hand for emphasis as well as reassurance. "He's my... romantic partner."

Freddie's grip on Arthel's hand tightened, and Arthel squeezed back, hoping to reassure Freddie. The silence stretched out again. As she eventually nodded slowly in acceptance, a small smile found it's way onto Jer's face.

"It's nice that you've found someone, Biddah." she told Freddie.

As Freddie breathed out shakily, Arthel felt him relax considerably. Their hands stayed clasped, but Freddie's grip was more gentle. Freddie glanced across at his father, who was staring and Freddie and Arthel's hands. Bomi said nothing as Arthel and Freddie started to answer questions from Jer and Kash, who seemed keen to catch up with and understand their relationship.

* * *

After another hour passed, Freddie and Arthel decided it was time for them to head back to Arthel's flat. Kash and Jer hugged both Freddie and Arthel goodbye. Warily, Freddie looked at his father. Bomi gazed back, before pulling his son into an embrace. Surprised, Freddie's arms automatically wrapped around his dad. When he pulled back, Bomi stretched his hand out to Arthel. Arthel shook it. 

When the couple eventually managed to leave the house, they walked down the road side-by-side, their hands almost touching. That was why Arthel almost immediately noticed when Freddie stopped. When Arthel turned to check on him, Freddie let a laugh escape his mouth as he wiped at his eyes.

"Fred?" Arthel asked, his slight concern showing in his eyes.

Self-deprecatively, Freddie laughed again, leaning against a wall and rubbing his eyes.

"I'm pathetic. Truly pathetic." he announced.

Realising what this was about, Arthel joined his boyfriend and gently rested a hand on his shoulder.

"No, you're not," he insisted. "You just came out to your parents and, against all odds, they accepted you. And accepted us. Your reaction isn't pathetic; it makes sense. I should know, I've been there."

Freddie smiled at him, before hugging Arthel and burying his face in his shoulder to breathe in his partner's scent. When he pulled away, Freddie gazed into Arthel's eyes.

"I don't deserve you." he murmured.

Arthel smiled teasingly.

"Well, whether you deserve me or not, you have me," he pointed out. "And vice versa."

Out of nowhere, Freddie pressed his lips to Arthel's for a second, before pulling away. Then he did it again, this time kissing his partner properly. Arthel kissed back for a minute, before gently pushing Freddie away with a grin. 

"Come on. Let's head back before we get done for public indecency!"

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Good Company" by Queen  
> Also, I used the term Jer called Fred in that scene where he just casually brings Jim to tea with his family, but I have no idea how to spell it so I can't find out what it means. If anyone knows, I would be so grateful!


End file.
